Lady Vikings grab slim lead in tight 1-5A race
Written by Jerry Byrd
nwlanews.com
Friday, 16 March 2007

Airline’s Lady Vikings moved into first place in District 1-5A softball standings by a half-game Tuesday with a 7-3 victory over Natchitoches-Central.

Whitney Harrell (15-3-1) got the pitching decision, allowing six hits and one walk. She struck out 10 batters.

Kalyn Harris led the Lady Vikings at the plate. She was three-for-three with two doubles and four runs batted in as Airline improved its overall record to 17-4-1 going into Thursday’s 1-5A showdown with runnerup Byrd.

Airline and Byrd have one loss apiece in district play, but Airline has one more win. Four other teams have two losses apiece.

Kristen Rich was two-for-four Tuesday with a run-scoring triple. Megan Waggoner, Lauren Young, Emily McCleary and Julie Stralow had one hit apiece for the Lady Vikings.

In the Sulphur tournament last week, Airline won two games, lost one and played Central of Baton Rouge to a scoreless tie.

Harrell pitched three of the four games, getting two shutouts to boost her season total to seven. (She had 12 last year.)

One of the shutouts at Sulphur was a scoreless tie with Central of Baton Rouge. Harrell allowed one hit and no walks in the five-inning game and struck out four batters. She also had one of Airline’s four hits. Kristen Rich, Laura Bouso and Lauren Young had the others.

Sophomore twins Mallory Waggoner and Megan Waggoner combined to allow two hits in a 3-1 loss to Mandeville. Airline had three hits in the four-inning game: one apiece by Mallory Waggoner, Kalyn Harris and Young.

Harrell pitched a two-hitter and struck out nine batters in a five-inning, 3-0 victory over Little Cypress (LCM), TX. She allowed no walks.

Julie Stralow was two-for-three with a home run and drove in all three runs. Harrell hit a double and Rich was two-for-three.

The Lady Vikings then scored a 4-1 victory over host Sulphur as the only run scored against Harrell in three tournament games was a home run. She pitched a three-hitter.

Airline had seven hits, as Harrell was two-for-two with a double, Stralow hit a double and Rich, Bouso and both Waggoner twins had one hit apiece. Megan Waggoner had a double.